The Weather Man
By: Moviefaire | Category: On DVD | 02/20/06 | 12:32 AM
 |  |  Grade: B | Genre: Comedy/Drama
Summary: Not exactly a feel good movie, in fact a bit of a bummer, but there is a bit of David Spritz in all of us
Nick Cage has probably cornered the market on quirky, offbeat roles and while some of his performances work and some do not, this time Cage nails a great performance. Cage plays David Spritz, a sad everyman whose life echos the lives of the many who never quite arrive at the place that they envisioned for themselves. Spritz is a tragic hero who does not even know his own worth and that fact could be said for many of us. This troubled weatherman believes his failed marriage can be resurrected, lives under the gazing disapproval of his Pulitzer prizewinning father, Robert (Michael Caine), has an overweight daughter and a son in counseling. Life is a not exactly sparkling for Spritz and his response to his problems can be both bizarre and pathetic. In this film, directed by Gore Verginski, of The Ring and Pirates of the Carribean fame, a melancholy life is on display and it is not pretty. In fact, this movie delivers a rather morbid story of a minor Chicago celebrity, rummaging around in the chaos of his existence and reacting to most events rather inappropriately. While the story will not have you smiling when you leave the theater, it is a thought-provoking movie, with sensitive performances by Cage and Caine, and moments of true comedy that are not just thrown in, but are earned the honest way. |
 | | | The Weather Man | | Starring: Nicolas Cage, Hope Davis, Michael Caine, Michael Rispoli & Gil Bellows | | Director: Gore Verbinski |
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While the film could have been funnier, it is a look at the society that creates a David Spritz, a weatherman, who does not even really understand the weather but ironically is a candidate for a position on a mornings news show called "Hello America." Dave's success is a charade and it is not garnered honestly, and this is pointed out to him by his accomplished disapproving father, Robert. Robert reminds his son, with continual regret, that he is a fraud and that interplay between Cage and Caine is what is most unsettling about the film. The fact that Dad was a Pulitzer prizewinner and his son is a bit of a TV clown is almost the core of the film. The extreme contrast, created by the dueling performances of superb actors, shows the lack of true values that American culture continually settles for. The resounding symbol of this movie is that the world of communication has been degraded to slick television instead of the researched labor of the printed page. This contrast shows the new world of media against the old, and the son's cheap vocation against the father's honorable one.
The director Gore Verbinski, tackles the powerful themes of a mid-life crisis and the need for self improvement, in a realistic but alternately dark and witty film. In funnier moments, Verbinski, uses sly humor to show Spritz's dishonest celebrity through the use of a tacky cliche used by Spritz' to describe the coldest day of the year as "the Spritzer nipper," and by showing that his only real talent is being able to point out things on a blue screen since the weather map is not really there. Just like the map, David Spritz is an allusion. The director allows the audience a leisured look at Spritz's world and the time to study this man and the critical situation he finds himself in as he has to make a life changing decision. The Weather Man feels both atmospherically and emotionally desolate as the movie opens up with ice breaking up in Lake Michigan. This mood helps to give the film a bleak and hopeless feel, much like Spritz's life. One aspect I admire about this film is its sense of reality, not because it is based on the story of a person's life but because of the universal truths that permeate in the film. Humanity in general falls short of the mark. Most of us do not accomplish everything we want to in this lifetime, and yes, we all can act foolishly from time to time. Improvement is generally made in small steps in a person's life, and not all steps are successful. One can have status and fail too. Life is alternately funny and painful, much like Spritz's life, and director Verbinski, maneuvers it gracefully by extracting humor out of negative situations.
In short, The Weather Man is an inventive, dark character study, of a painful, sad individual. I know this does not sound like a fun ride, and quite honestly it is not for everyone. This is not for those going through a hard time in their lives, in fact, I might even advise to stay away from this film in case you might recognize a glimmer of yourself in Spritz. For as Spritz mentions "Easy doesn't enter into grown-up life." This is not an "easy" film to watch, but for a quality film that dives deep into the life of a man struggling with his greatest advisory, himself, it is worth our attention and consideration. If you can take the message without getting too weighed down by it, then this film just might be a might one to see this winter season, but makes sure your head is in a good place before viewing.
Originally Posted: November 28, 2005
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